title: Lack of evidence for an interaction between Buchnera GroEL and Banana bunchy top virus (Nanoviridae).
abstract: Circulative plant viruses such as luteovirids and geminiviruses have been shown to bind to GroEL proteins produced by endosymbiotic bacteria harboured within hemipteran vectors. These interactions seem to prevent the degradation of the viral particles in the aphid's haemocoel. Similarly to luteovirids and geminiviruses, Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), a member of the Nanoviridae family, is transmitted in a persistent, circulative manner and can be detected in the haemolymph of the aphid vector, Pentalonia nigronervosa. To date, it is not known if BBTV can interact with GroEL. In this study, we localised and inferred the phylogeny of a Buchnera aphidicola endosymbiont inhabiting P. nigronervosa. Furthermore, we predicted the 3D structure of Buchnera GroEL and detected the protein in the haemolymph of P. nigronervosa. Interactions were tested using 3 different assays: immunocapture PCR, dot blot, and far-western blot assays; however, none of them showed evidence of a BBTV-GroEL interaction. We concluded that it was unlikely that BBTV interacted with Buchnera GroEL either in vitro or in vivo and we discuss possible alternatives by which BBTV viral particles are able to avoid the process of degradation in the aphid haemocoel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, 3050 Maile Way, Gilmore Hall, 96822 Honolulu, HI, USA; Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii, 1955 East-West Road, Ag. Science 218, Honolulu, HI, USA.
authors.forename: Shizu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Dulal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borthakur
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bressan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020635:Buchnera / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D028521:Musa / Q000821:virology*; D052657:Nanoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60
keywords: Aphid–virus interaction; Banana bunchy top virus; Buchnera aphidicola; Circulative virus; GroEL